Abstract

Due to poverty, kerosene is widely applied for the treatment of a number of ailments in Africa. The impact of kerosene on antioxidant indices is therefore determined in Wistar rats. The experimental animals were divided into four groups (n=6). Trace quantity of kerosene (0.4 ml/kg body weight) was administered through oral, dermal or combined routes. At the end of 3 weeks of daily administration, activities of the antioxidant enzymes, levels of malondialdehyde and reduced and oxidized glutathione were estimated. Levels of oxidized glutathione and malondialdehyde were significantly elevated (p&lt;0.05); while the levels or activities of reduced glutathione and reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione ratio (p&lt;0.05) as well as all the antioxidant enzymes were significantly decreased.&nbsp; The results of this suggest that trace administration of kerosene to male Wistar rats is capable of inducing significant oxidative stress and also support the same kind of observation earlier observed in female rats. <br />